Fresh Mint Chocolate Bars

Hi new friend! Janel here from the sister team of NellieBellie. I’m the short, redhead to counteract my sister Lanet’s tall blondeness. We create healthy recipes, ridiculously decadent desserts, cozy drinks, cocktails, and pretty crafts & diy’s. You know, the important things in a Minnesota life . We’d love for you to pop by nelliebellie.com, our sister site thecampwhisperer.com, or our favorite social media these days … Instagram!

These are not your child’s chocolate bars. No, they are not super sweet or rich or filling in the way that children love. Just a sweet, fresh, tasty, and grown-up treat wonderful for summer picnics and evenings. I serve these with a glass of lemonade (or wine, let’s be honest) in the summer and always get an “mmmm, that was nice” response.

I realize that bloggers are often trying to give you the best AMAZING desserts or DELICIOUS treats with gorgeous photo’s and promises of the BEST thing you’ve ever eaten or the EASIEST treat you’ll ever made. “Mmmmm, that was nice” seems like a let-down for some. It’s not. Ever. Nobody wants to ride a roller coaster every day. But, a nice little jaunt on the carousel before bed could happen every night without complaint. These bars are a carousel.

 

These are really, really good. You’ll like them. Alot. And probably make them again and again.

The dough for the bottom of the bars is the same dough for chocolate sandwich cookies. If you baked the dough and then cut the baked dough into circles you would have sandwich cookies. The kind of sandwich cookies to shove vanilla cream in between two.

I use marshmallow in my bars, but this is optional. They add a gooey and sweet touch to the bars that I love. For some that have used my recipe, the texture isn’t something they like and they leave them out. Leaving the marshmallows out will give you a bar that tastes very similar to a Girl Scout Thin Mint. Really.

But, will you give the marshmallows a try and see what you think?

Really though, don’t ooey gooey roasted marshmallows and summer just make magic together? I think so. It’s a quick couple minutes to add the marshmallows to the top of the crust and broil them. Two minutes. Two minutes is worth the magic!

The chocolate top of the bars couldn’t be simpler, fresher, or better tasting. Use dark chocolate chips, fresh mint, and a small wad of butter melted together and poured over the marshmallows. Simple as that.

Tip: I use fresh mint cut finely. You will notice the bits of mint in the bars but not be overwhelmed by large pieces of mint to chew. If you prefer, use a food processor to grind your mint small OR use peppermint flavoring instead of fresh mint (works just fine!). Do NOT use fresh mint that hasn’t been chopped well — gross!

Tip: Use semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips if you prefer your bars a bit sweeter.

Pour that hot chocolate mixture over the top of the bars and spread it into the marshmallows until the whole top is ooey, gooey, and messy.

Tip: You’ll want to move quickly before the chocolate cools. There is NO wrong way to smoosh and spread marshmallows with chocolate!

Top those bars with a bit more fresh mint and you are set for any gathering!

Tip: Using fresh mint on the top clues people into the fact that there may be small bits of mint in the bars. They won’t be so surprised by the texture. If you choose to grind your mint very small or use flavoring you can skip this!

Fresh Mint Chocolate Bars:

(makes 1 cookie sheet worth — about 24 bars)

Chocolate Sandwich Cookie Crust:

• 1 stick soft butter
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips, melted
• 3 Tablespoons dark cocoa
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cup flour

–1 bag of large marshmallows

Chocolate Mint Topping:

• 10-12 oz dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons butter

1. Cream butter, cocoa, and sugars together in large mixing bowl.
2. Add egg and melted chocolate. Mix well.
3. Add flour and baking soda. Combine.
4. Press dough into bottom of sprayed or lined cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 7 minutes at 350 degrees.
6. Place marshmallows randomly on the cookie base.
7. Broil for 2 minutes. Press the marshmallows down with the back of a spoon or spatula. Cool.
8. Melt the chocolate mint toppings together (dark chocolate chips, fresh mint, butter) and pour over the top of the broiled marshmall0ws. –I do this in a heavy saucepan on the oven but your microwave will work well, watch it closely.
9. Working quickly, use a spatula to spread the chocolate and melt it into the marshmallows.
10. Top with fresh mint, cool, and serve.

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